Priscilla Villarreal

‘La Gordiloca’ Lost at the Supreme Court but Won in Laredo
The citizen-journalist and social media provocateur's case against local officials was thrown out in a decision that horrified First Amendment advocates. But, at home, observers say arresting her proved more trouble for the government than it was worth.
Texas Observer 10 min read
Arresting a Reporter for Asking Questions Was a 'Blatant First Amendment Violation,' Sonia Sotomayor Says
The justice dissented from the Supreme Court's denial of a petition from a Texas journalist who was charged with felonies for practicing journalism.
Reason 10 min read
Texas officials who targeted a journalist just got a response from the Supreme Court that will change how the First Amendment works for everyone
The Supreme Court just delivered a significant blow to citizen journalists, rejecting a case brought by Priscilla Villarreal against Texas officials who had arrested her for reporting. This decision, announced on Monday, means Villarreal’s civil rights claim, which argued her First Amendment free speech rights were violated, cannot move forward. 
The Mary Sue 5 min read
Justice Sotomayor on the Freedom of the Press and the Right to Ask Questions
The Justice largely agrees with Fifth Circuit Judge James Ho's dissenting opinion below, but writes alone in dissenting from the Supreme Court's decision not to consider the case.
Reason 11 min read
Supreme Court rejects appeal from online citizen journalist over her arrest in Texas
The Supreme Court has rejected the appeal of a Texas-based online citizen journalist who said she was wrongly arrested in a case that drew attention from national media organizations and free speech advocates
The Independent UK 3 min read
A Texas News Vlogger Asks SCOTUS To Decide Whether Criminalizing Journalism Is 'Obviously Unconstitutional'
This is Priscilla Villarreal’s second trip to the Supreme Court, which last year revived her First Amendment lawsuit.
Reason 5 min read
Why a Trump-Appointed Judge Is Torching His Own Court’s Qualified Immunity Logic—and the Government Abuse It Enables
Judge James C. Ho recently described a troubling phenomenon on the 5th Circuit and the government abuse it enables.
Reason 11 min read
2 New Jersey Journalists Face Criminal Charges for Publishing Information From a Police Blotter
The prosecution, the latest example of local attempts to criminalize news reporting, is blatantly at odds with First Amendment principles.
Reason 7 min read
On Remand, the 5th Circuit Again Blocks a Lawsuit by a Texas Reporter Arrested for Newsgathering
Even if Laredo cops punished Priscilla Villarreal for constitutionally protected speech, the appeals court says, they would be protected by qualified immunity.
Reason 12 min read
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Reason 6 min read